We’re Growing! Ready to Plan Your Next Trip?
Thanks to you, our loyal clients, Far Far Away Travels is growing. Our big travel news in November is that we are happy to announce that Karen Dziadosz-Evans is joining Far Far Away Travels. Karen will be focused on theme parks in Orlando: Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, and Discovery Cove. She visits Orlando often and keeps abreast of the continually changing theme park environment. And of course, she knows Disneyland and Universal California too.
Remember Fast Passes? Gone. It can take hours and hours of online research to figure out even a simple Disney or Universal trip. Karen does the work, so you don’t need to. You can reach her at Karen@farfarawaytravels.com. She will be sharing many tips for saving time and money.
Karen has the highest level of training with Universal, SeaWorld, and the Disney College of Knowledge.
As always, please reach out to Nichole, Gretchen, and Karen with any travel questions.
Karen Dziadosz-Evans on her last Virgin Voyage
Travel Abroad, the Travel News You Need This November
We understand that the Israel-Hamas War, along with the war in Ukraine, causes concerns about traveling abroad for some. Personally, since these wars have broken out, we have traveled to Germany, Iceland, and Norway without incident or concern.
However, we recognize that everyone has a different tolerance level.
We always suggest checking the Department of State site for alerts about specific countries.
Finally, it is interesting to remind ourselves that some countries warn their citizens that travel to the United States can be dangerous.
Whether you travel at home or abroad, you should always take normal precautions and buy travel insurance.
Global Entry Just Got Better!
We have long said that Global Entry is a great deal. There is great travel news this November about this exceptional program.
When returning to the US, Global Entry lets you breeze through Passport Control in minutes, letting you bypass the very long lines of those without it. We estimate it easily saves us 30 minutes or more of wait time whenever we use it. It includes TSA Precheck for domestic travel and costs only $15 more than Precheck alone.
Now Global Entry is even better. You can download a free app on your phone, fill out the needed information, and upon arrival take a picture of yourself, submit it into the system and you get a digital receipt to show the agent. Amazing!
For now, the Global Entry app is only available for use by travelers arriving at seven airports. Hopefully, the list will grow.
- Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Miami International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- Washington Dulles International Airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport
And Global Entry without the app can be used at a long list of airports.
Remember, many major credit cards will fully reimburse you the cost of Global Entry so be sure to check your card’s benefits.
The only drawback is the background check and initial interview where you are fingerprinted. This year though, we were able to renew with a video interview.
Too busy to schedule an interview? They will let you interview upon your next return to the U.S.
News from Delta
Are you a Delta Medallion member? We can book you through Delta Vacations and you earn toward Medallion® Status on your flights, hotels, cars and activities.
Travel News November: Visiting Europe
This is a great time to visit Europe. The currency exchange rate is exceptionally good as the Euro and the dollar are generally at par. In past years, Americans would pay a 30-50% premium. We recently wrote about the joys of the Christmas market.
If you have followed matters, you know that Americans were slated to have to file for an electronic visa before visiting Europe beginning in 2024. However, that has now been postponed until 2025.
Eventually, international travelers will need to seek pre-approval prior to their journey into the group of 30 EU countries.
Ready for More Great Travel Tips?
We share our favorite travel secrets and tips every week. You can see them all here.
